


Coffee Stop

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Category: Captain America (Movies), Gilmore Girls, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Gen, minor kidfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 15:19:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: "Welcome to Stars Hollow, Steve.""Thanks. But like I said. I'm just passing through."Luke snorts softly. “That’s what they all say.”





	Coffee Stop

He stops for a coffee.

It's early in the morning and there's only two places open in this tiny, 1-stoplight town.

He decides on the diner over the bakery, stepping in quietly and looking around. It's nice. Quaint. Not unlike some of the old mom and pop restaurants from Before.

"Morning," says the man behind the counter. A middle-aged man with a backwards baseball cap and a plaid shirt. "Getcha somethin?"

"Coffee?" Steve Rogers asks as he unzips his leather jacket. "And a menu, please." He might as well.

"Sure thing. Sit anywhere you like."

Steve does, taking a seat at the counter.

"Just passing through?" the man asks as he sets a cup down and fills it with steaming hot coffee; obviously fresh.

"Yeah. Seemed like a nice place."

"Don't let it fool you. Everybody here is nuts."

"Even you?" Steve asks, lifting an eyebrow before taking a sip of coffee without cream or sugar.

"Especially me," the man says. "I've lived here my whole life. Probably makes me the craziest one for staying."

Steve smiles, and he knows it's sad. He can't help it. "Be it ever so humble, right?"

The man chuckles. "I guess so." He holds out a hand. "Luke."

Steve shakes his firmly. "Steve."

"Welcome to Stars Hollow, Steve."

"Thanks. But like I said. I'm just passing through."

Luke snorts softly. “That’s what they all say.” 

***** 

The Dragonfly Inn is cheerful, though the Frenchman at the front desk is less so. 

Steve picks up on the accent right away and switches to French, which changes the other man’s tune completely, especially when he bothers to look up from the computer. 

“Excusez-moi, est-il une chambre disponible?” 

The man’s eyes light up and he smiles politely (and maybe a little flirtatiously? Steve can’t tell). “Oui bien sûr, nous avons une chambre pour vous!” 

“Merci,” Steve nods. 

He’s given a key and a brief tour. 

When they get to the dining room, and Michel (the man’s name is Michel) introduces the Inn’s chef, he mutters under his breath to Steve.

“Ceci est notre Chef, Sookie. Elle est fou. Ne faites pas attention à son.”

“Did he just call me insane?” Sookie asks. 

Steve nods. “He did.” 

“Oh, then it must be a day that ends in Y,” she says energetically. “Welcome to the Dragonfly. I’m the head chef and co-owner.” 

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Steve nods. “I don’t...I don’t really need the special treatment. I’m only staying a couple of days.” 

“Well, it’s not often we get celebrities in our little town,” Sookie tells him. “Michel is just excited to have somebody famous.” 

“Hello?” another voice asks, and it’s followed by a woman in her forties. She’s tall and dark-haired and there’s something about her that instantly reminds Steve of Tony. “Why isn’t there anybody at the front- whoa.” 

“Captain America’s staying at our Inn!” Sookie cries excitedly. 

The other woman shakes out her head, obviously trying not to be star struck. She smiles politely (and this time it is just polite). “It’s so nice to meet you, Captain. I’m Lorelai Gilmore. I’m head manager and co-owner.” 

He nods. “It’s very nice to meet you. And...and it’s just Steve. Monsieur Gerard was giving me a tour.” 

“That was very nice of him,” Lorelai grins, and leans over to look at the room key he’s holding. “Oh, room seven. That’s a good one. Do you need help finding it?” 

“No, Ma’am,” Steve replies. “I was just going to go get settled in.” 

Lorelai nods. “You let us know if you need anything. Lunch starts serving at 11:30, and dinner starts at six. And I mean it, if you need anything at all, you let us know.” 

He nods back. “Thank you.” 

As he walks off, he can hear them talking softly. 

“Why did you shoo him away?” Michel hisses. 

“Because he looks exhausted, and he’s too young for you. He’s a baby, he’s younger than Rory.” 

“The papers say he’s 95,” Sookie whispers. 

“Yeah, and he spent seventy of those years as a freezer pop. He’s probably just looking for somewhere quiet he can get used to all the stuff he missed.” 

“Poor guy,” Sookie says. “I wonder what he used to eat back in the day, maybe I can change the lunch menu around, make something familiar.” 

“You mean during the Great Depression and the second world war when they rationed everything?” 

“...Right. You know he called you Ma’am.” 

“He did. Because he’s a baby. From the forties.” 

Steve grins to himself, a little amused, and climbs the stairs. It’s been a very long time since anyone has treated him like he was young.

His room is just as homey as the rest of the inn, and it’s blissfully quiet. 

He takes a hot shower, and then proceeds to take the best nap he’s ever had.

***** 

When he makes his way down to the dining room for dinner, it’s packed, but there seems to be one empty seat left just for him. 

Everyone stares. Everything is silent. You can hear a pin drop.

He slowly makes his way to the empty table and takes a seat, feeling nervous and rubbing his hands against his knees. A server walks over and settles a glass of water and a menu in front of him, and everyone is still staring. There are some whispers, but it’s still weirdly quiet. 

“Excuse me,” he says to his server. “Can I...is there any way you could ask the manager to come talk to me?” 

The server’s eyes widen and she nods before rushing off. 

Lorelai appears, looking just as confused as Steve feels. She stops before she can even get to the table. 

“Hey! This is not the Stars Hollow petting zoo! You either came here to eat, or you’re out. Let the man have some privacy! If you don’t stop staring, I’m calling Luke to come throw you out by the seats of your pants.” 

The other diners mutter amongst themselves and finally look away, some more ashamed than others, and Steve lets out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. 

“I am so sorry about this,” Lorelai says, stepping over to him, and he gets to his feet out of habit. “Your stay is on us.”

“Oh, no, you...you don’t have to-” 

“I insist.” 

“Actually...can I...would it be alright if…” 

“Anything, name it,” Lorelai tells him, and he knows she means it. 

*****   
And so he eats his meals in the kitchen. It’s busy and warm, but it reminds him a little of eating in the mess tents during the war, and it’s…

It’s nice. 

Sookie makes small talk, mostly about Stars Hollow and the people in the town; her husband and kids, and she puts things in front of him that he didn’t order because she likes having an extra taste-tester around. 

“This is the most amazing bacon I’ve ever had,” he tells her the next morning. 

“It’s the cherry smoke,” Sookie tells him excitedly. 

“Well, and the chef,” Steve grins. 

She giggles a little and ruffles his hair before getting back to work. 

“Morning, Steve,” Lorelai says as she steps in and pours herself a coffee. “Sookie, I got a letter from Rory.” 

“Oh!” Sookie cries. “How is she? Where is she?” She rushes over to pluck the envelope from Lorelai’s hands, looking it over. “She’s in Russia. Yikes.” 

Steve tries to mind his own business, but his curiosity gets the best of him and Lorelai catches his eye. 

She smiles. “Rory is my daughter. She’s a journalist who does a lot of work out of the country.” 

“Oh. That’s really nice,” Steve nods, grinning. “Russia’s not so nice a place sometimes though.” 

“Brr,” Sookie says, grinning as she reads the letter, and then gasps. “She’s coming home?!” 

“This weekend,” Lorelai beams. “For three whole weeks. Three whole weeks of Rory.” 

“How long has it been since she’s been back?” Steve asks. 

“Two years,” Lorelai says, smiling as she sips her coffee. “If you’re still around this weekend, you’ll get to meet her.” 

“Oh...I...I’m not staying that long,” Steve says. 

Lorelai smiles like she doesn’t believe him. “Okay.” 

***** 

He’s leaving. He swears. He’s just looking over his bike and making sure it’s in good shape to hit the road, and then he’ll grab his bag and- 

There are screams from the dance studio, and he doesn’t even think, he just runs, carefully pushing past frightened and confused townspeople and inside, where a support beam has crashed, separating Miss Patty from her scared dancers.

“Everyone okay?” he asks as he steps forward carefully. 

“I’m fine,” she says frantically. “But I can’t get to my girls.” 

Steve grimaces as he nods and steps over some of the other fallen debris. Across the beam are seven frightened-looking first-graders. “Okay. Everybody stand back.” 

The girls huddle close together, and he grips the beam tightly, lifting it up and dragging it from the studio and out into the street. He takes a breath as people stare, wide-eyed and amazed, and then he dashes back inside to find the girls crowding around Miss Patty. 

“Everyone okay?” he asks, catching his breath. He kneels down and eyes each of the little girls critically, checking for head wounds and broken bones. 

One of the girls yelps when he presses a thumb down on her wrist. 

“That’s sprained,” Steve says gently. “She’ll want to see a doctor right away.” 

“Of course,” Patty nods. “Thank you so much.” 

He’s about to say it’s no trouble, that it’s his job, but he doesn’t get the words out because he’s covered in first-graders, hugging him tightly and thanking him loudly. 

“Okay, girls, let’s go find your parents!” Patty cries, and Steve follows them out, looking around. 

People are staring wide-eyed, and he’s about to make a run for it. It’s time to go. It’s time to leave, it’s time to find a new place. 

But then they start clapping. 

It’s still time to leave. 

***** 

“You can’t leave!” Taylor Doose cries as Steve checks his bike out again later that day. “We need your help!” 

Steve blinks and looks up at him. 

“The Dance studio is going to need repairs. You lifted that beam like it was light as a feather,” Taylor says. “I will pay for your room and board at the Dragonfly if that’s the issue.” 

“It’s not, Mr. Doose,” Steve assures him. “It’s just...it’s time to go.” 

“You saved those little girls, we owe you.” 

“You don’t,” Steve tells him. “I’m…” he huffs. “I’m Captain America. It’s my job to-” 

“You’re not wearing a uniform,” Taylor says. “You were off-duty. You didn’t have to step in.” 

“Of course I did.” 

“It would also be a huge tourism bump to have you here,” Taylor mentions. 

Steve gives an incredulous laugh. “I’m not a traveling freak show, Mr. Doose.” 

“Just...consider it.” 

So he does. 

He winds up back in the kitchen at the Dragonfly, with Lorelai and Sookie and their coffee and the blueberry muffins that Sookie’s made because she finally wheedled his favorite fruit out of him.

“I knew it!” she’d said. “I knew you weren’t an apple guy.” 

“Stay,” Lorelai tells him. “At least through the weekend. Rory is coming home, and I’m pretty sure she’s going to want to talk you into an interview.” 

“I-” 

“Steve,” she says more firmly. “You know the little girl with the sprained wrist at Miss Patty’s the other day?” 

Steve nods. 

“That was my younger daughter Sidney,” Lorelai tells him. “And I really wanted to have you over for dinner as a thank you for pulling my kid out of an incredibly dangerous situation. So stay. Just through the weekend. Please.” 

He’s staying. 

***** 

People wave to him on his morning run. Luke’s got a cup of coffee waiting for him when he stops in afterwards, sweaty, but refreshed, and there’s a piece of coffee cake to go with it. 

Steve frowns. “I-” 

“Thanks for saving my kid the other day,” Luke tells him. “The one with the sprained wrist? I was scared to death.” 

“Oh...I...I didn’t...I didn’t know you and Lorelai…” 

The older man grins. “Enjoy the coffee cake. And I hear you’re comin’ over for dinner tomorrow night. You got food allergies?” 

“Not anymore,” Steve tells him. 

“Vegetarian?” 

“Nope.” 

“Then I can basically cook you anything.” 

Steve grins sheepish. “Pretty much.” 

“Good to know. Eat up.” 

***** 

“Captain America is on our front porch!” a new voice says from the other side of Lorelai and Luke’s front door. 

It swings open and a thin young woman appears, smiling widely, excitedly. “Hi!” 

Steve nods. “Miss.” 

“I’m Rory Gilmore,” she says hurriedly, sticking out a hand to shake. “I work for the New York Times as an overseas correspondent and I would love to talk to you.” 

“Uh…” 

“Rory, he’s not even in the door,” Luke says, both amused and annoyed. He gently shifts his step-daughter out of the way. “Come on in, Steve.” 

He steps in slowly, awkwardly. “Thank you for having me.” 

“Yeah, well, thanks for saving my kid,” Luke says. “So I made pot roast, and there’s greens, mac and cheese, and salad.” 

“Don’t eat it, it’s evil!” Lorelai calls from the kitchen.

“Stop saying salad is evil!” Luke yells back. “Sid’s gonna start takin’ it to heart!” 

“She wouldn’t be my daughter if she liked salad!” 

Steve frowns a little. “Uh...you have a lovely home.” 

“Thanks,” Lorelai grins, poking her head out from the kitchen. “Make yourself comfortable! There’s cheese.” 

“Cheese?” 

“We wanted to feed you our customary pop tart appetizers, but Luke said no,” Rory explains. “So there’s cheese.” 

“And crackers,” Luke adds. “Have a seat. Don’t mind them. They haven’t seen each other in two years, and they’re in rare form.” 

“We are,” Lorelai agrees as she steps out of the kitchen and Luke walks in. 

“We’re the best,” Rory adds. 

“We are,” Lorelai repeats. “Seriously though, Steve, we’re glad to have you. Sid should be out in a minute.” 

Rory sits next to him, smiling at him, not saying anything. 

“Uh...it’s...it’s nice to meet you…” Steve says awkwardly, shifting away from her a little.

“It is so nice to meet you,” Rory says hurriedly. “Just...so, so nice.” 

“I uh...you’re obviously pretty excited to interview me,” Steve says, grinning sheepishly. “Any chance it could wait until after dinner?” 

Rory blinks. “Oh. Of course. I’m so sorry. I just get really star struck sometimes. You should have seen me when I met Christiane Amanpour.” 

“The reporter?” 

Rory beams. “She was my childhood hero. Who was yours?” 

“Rory!” Lorelai snaps from the kitchen. 

“That was too interview-y,” Rory says. 

Steve nods and grins. “I was a big Burleigh Grimes fan growing up.” 

Rory frowns. “Who?” 

“Baseball player,” Steve tells her. 

“Oh! You’re a baseball fan,” Rory says. 

“I am. Since I was a kid. I was uh...I was a little steamed when I found out the Dodgers had moved across the country.” 

Rory nods. “Must have been a shock.” 

“A lot of things have been,” he tells her. 

“What would you say has been your biggest shock since coming back?” 

“Rory!” both Luke and Lorelai yell from the kitchen. 

Steve chuckles, and Rory grins sheepishly. 

“Okay. No more interview questions until after dinner,” she says, holding up a hand in a promise. 

“Thanks.” 

The sounds of small feet tromping across the floor fill the room, then, and Sidney dashes out, her arm in a little purple cast that’s covered in signatures. 

“Steve!” 

“Hi,” he grins, leaning forward. “How ya feelin?” 

“I’m okay,” she says. “I got a neat cast, see?” she points to it, unable to move her arm. 

“Hey, that’s great,” he grins. “And you already got a whole bunch of people to sign it.” 

“Will you sign it too?” she asks, holding out a black pen. 

He nods and takes it. “Sure.” He scribbles on it as neatly as he can, and draws a smiley face next to his name. 

“Mom says since I got hurt, I can eat all the pudding i want,” Sidney tells him. 

“You what?!” Luke cries in the kitchen. 

“My baby deserves pudding!” Lorelai counters. 

“You guys have some parents,” Steve tells them. 

“What were your mommy and daddy like?” Sidney asks, tilting her head, and Rory beams, obviously proud of her sister’s interview prowess. 

Steve grins a little, quirking an eyebrow at Rory. “Well, I never knew my dad. But my mom was amazing. She was like superwoman. She did everything. She cooked like a champ, and cleaned our house, and she took care of me when I was sick, and she was a nurse, so she took care of other people for her job.” 

Rory’s look goes from amused to thoughtful. “You had your very own Lorelai Gilmore,” she says. 

Steve blinks at her. “What do you mean?” 

“When Rory was little, Mommy and Daddy weren’t married or together or anything, so Mommy raised Rory all on her own, and she did all the stuff that your mommy did.” 

“She wasn’t a nurse,” Rory corrects Sidney. “But she was a single mom.” 

Steve picks up a cracker with some cheese on it and sits back, thinking it over; thinking about how at ease he feels around Lorelai, and this new information just gives it some perspective; some sense. 

Lorelai Gilmore and Sarah Rogers are not dissimilar at all. 

“My parents were married very briefly, while I was in college,” Rory tells him. “My dad...well, Christopher has always been kind of a mess.” 

“My dad passed away before I was born,” Steve tells them. “So I never met him, but my mom loved the heck out of him. So I like to believe he was a good man. He fought in World War 1.” 

Luke leans in then and grins. “Dinner’s ready.” 

“Food!” Sidney cries, and dashes off. 

Steve laughs softly and stands up. “Nice to see that the wrist hasn’t dampened her spirits.” 

Rory beams as she stands as well. “She’s definitely a trooper.” She freezes, blinking. “Is that offensive? Cause...you’re a soldier, and I know that civilians saluting is kind of a no-no, but I wasn’t sure about the word ‘trooper,’ is that-?” 

Steve grins at her. “It’s fine. I promise. Let’s go eat.” 

***** 

Dinner is a chatty affair, Lorelai and Rory dominating the conversation. 

“Steve has become Sookie’s favorite taste-tester,” Lorelai smiles. “She says his palate is pure because there are so many flavors that weren’t available to him until now.” 

“She’s a very good chef,” Steve comments. “But Luke...I don’t know what you did to this pot roast. It’s amazing.” 

“Thanks,” Luke grins. “I didn’t do much to it. Little salt, little pepper, some garlic, some bacon, veggies cooked with it.” 

Steve nods, still digging in. “It’s really good…” He grins sheepishly. “I uh...I haven’t really had a home-cooked meal in a while. Sookie is great! But it’s definitely fancy restaurant food…” 

“At the Inn, that’s true,” Lorelai nods. “But you haven’t lived until you’ve tried her chicken soup, it is to die…” 

She trails off as Luke glowers at her. 

“Not that it’s...anything, compared to my wonderful husband’s chicken soup,” Lorelai goes on, switching gears. “My wonderful, talented, husband who is very pretty.” 

The girls giggle, and Steve grins, watching the interaction. 

“Yeah, yeah, real funny,” Luke grumbles. “It is better, though.” He sits for a moment before getting to his feet. “I’ll make some.” 

Lorelai groans. “Luke! You’ve made so much food!” 

“Little soup never hurt anybody.” 

“Daddy, your chicken soup takes a million years! Mr. Steve will be here forever!” 

“That wouldn’t be so bad,” Rory comments. “We’d have more time to talk.” 

Lorelai rolls her eyes. “Rory. Come on. Steve is our guest. Stop with the interrogation.” 

Steve smiles, and eats, and listens. 

***** 

Rory pesters him into agreeing to lunch on Friday, and with it, a real interview. The Dragonfly’s dining room is surprisingly quiet, and it’s easy to sit and talk. 

Rory asks things that no one generally does; about his favorite stories of his friends; about his family before the war, and the places he liked to go; about what he intends to do now. 

It’s different, and he appreciates that. Rory wants to know more about Steve than she does about Cap, and that’s…

Nice.

It’s nice. 

“Do you keep in touch with anyone from those days?” Rory asks, looking at him. 

He takes a breath and looks down at his plate of food. “I’m working up to it.” 

“It can’t be easy, trying to pick up where you left off seventy years ago,” Rory says sympathetically. 

“It’s much harder now to find people with similar life experience,” Steve says. 

“Seems like an understatement.” 

He can’t disagree. 

***** 

“I was just going to sit in the back,” Steve says as he hesitantly follows Lorelai, Rory and Sidney up the aisle in Miss Patty’s newly refurbished dance studio. 

“Oh no, you can’t sit in the back, this is your first town meeting, you need to have a good seat,” Rory tells him. “Look, you were nice enough to sit down for an interview with me, which, by the way? I’m halfway through writing up, and I already have bites from Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Atlantic.” 

“Wow.” 

“So the least I can do is give you a full Stars Hollow experience.” 

They sit, and Steve takes the end seat, making sure not to squish to close to Rory, who sits next to him.

“Town meetings are fun!” Sidney tells him. “Mr. Doose gets so mad.” 

“Something tells me that’s not an uncommon occurrence,” Steve grins, sipping his milkshake. He pulls it away and gives it an impressed glance. 

Lorelai beams. “Luke malted milkshakes are stupid good, huh?” 

“You said it.” 

“Order! Order! It’s time to bring this meeting to order!” 

Steve sits up straight, paying attention to the front of the room, and Rory nudges him, and he grins sheepishly. 

“Force of habit.” 

“First order of business is the puddle problem in the town square,” Taylor announces. “People, we need to make a decision: more dirt to even out the ground, or mulch for a new garden path?” 

“Slip n’ Slide!” Lorelai cries. 

Steve can’t help laughing softly. 

“Captain, don’t encourage her,” Taylor admonishes. “Someone always encourages her.” 

He clears his throat, smiling behind his fist.

***** 

He buys an enormous stack of books from Black, White and Read, and spends Sunday afternoon in the gazebo, reading. Sometimes he says hello to people, sometimes he chats with someone or another. 

Babbette stops by with Maury, and they talk. Steve likes Maury a lot. 

He gets a good two hours of uninterrupted reading in before loud rock music and an even louder muscle car interrupt his concentration. He looks up from his book and watches a silver Tesla turn the corner and pull into a parking space quickly.

Out steps Tony Stark.

Steve sighs softly. “Damn.” 

***** 

When they walk into Luke’s, everyone turns to stare, silent shock written on their faces. 

Tony just smiles. “Hi. Hi there, townspeople. Hello.” 

Steve rolls his eyes and takes a table in the corner, waiting for Tony to join him.

Luke rolls his eyes. “Okay, okay. Out. Everybody out. Get out. Outta the diner, I can’t stand all the gawking. Out!” 

The rest of the patrons file out, still staring as they go. Luke locks the door behind them, and shakes his head.

“Morons,” he grumbles before stepping over to them. “Town fulla morons. Coffee, Steve?” 

“Please,” Steve nods. “Tony, this is Luke Danes. Luke, this is -”

“I know who he is,” Luke cuts him off. “I watched him throw up on television once.” 

“My finest hour,” Tony mumbles to himself, before looking up at him with a grin. “You do lattes?” 

“No.” 

“Espresso?” 

“No.” 

“Macchiato?” 

“Nope,” Luke tells him. “Just black coffee, cream and sugar if you want it.” 

Tony blows out a breath and nods. “Then I guess that’s what I’m having.” 

When Luke walks away, Steve looks to Tony. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I have a friend at the Bugle,” Tony tells him. “Told me there was a Captain America interview being shopped around from a tiny town in Connecticut. This tiny town in Connecticut, to be exact. Thought I’d come check on you.” 

“You don’t have to check on me, I’m over fifty years older than you are, I’m not some little kid.” 

“Come on, Rogers, you know it’s not like that,” Tony tells him. “You were frozen for like seventy years. We just wanna help you.” 

Steve says nothing. 

“Peggy’s asking for you.” 

Steve freezes. 

Tony stays silent for a long moment before speaking up again. “She saw you in the paper...she knows it’s you, and she wants to see you.” 

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” Steve says quietly. “I don’t know if I can.” 

“Look,” Tony tells him. “Not to be a total jack-ass about this, but...she’s not getting any younger...she’s in a nursing home now, in DC...her memory comes and goes.” 

“I read the file,” Steve nods. “I know…” 

“Then you know that putting off seeing her is a dumb idea,” Tony says. 

Steve says nothing. He grins up at Luke thankfully for the coffee, and takes a long sip. 

Tony drinks his too and nods. “Hm. That’s good.” 

“I like it here,” Steve tells him. “This town is...the people are nice. Weird, but nice. I don’t feel so much like a fish out of water here.” 

“The more time you spend in one place, the more you become apart of it,” Tony points out. “If you’d stayed in New York, you woulda started to feel better about being there too.” 

“Maybe.” 

Tony sighs and watches him. “You’re trying to get your bearings, I get it. It’s a...bizarre place to pick for readjustment into society. It has a store specifically for cat-related items. And it’s not like a pet store or anything. It’s literally just a store that sells things with drawings and pictures of cats on them.” 

Steve grins a little. 

“There’s also a place called Al’s Pancake World that was advertising bibimbap in the window,” Tony tells him. “And an entire store that sells nothing but twinkle lights.”

They sit in silence for a long moment, before Tony can’t help himself. 

“Is this what old timey New York was like?” he asks. 

“Not even a little.” 

“Huh. 

“Give me a couple of days,” Steve says. “A couple days to just...get my head together, and I’ll head back down...hit DC…” he swallows. “See Peggy.” 

Tony nods. “Okay. But if you’re not back in DC in a couple of days, I’m gonna send Natasha to come get you.”

Steve grins. “Fair enough.” 

They drink their coffee and chat amiably for a little while. Eventually they get up and shake hands. Tony heads out, and Steve, as well as the rest of the town, waiting outside of Luke’s, watches him go. 

“Who’s Peggy?” Luke asks. 

“A girl who owes me a dance,” Steve says, without looking away from the window. 

***** 

“Do you really have to go?” 

Sidney’s lip wibbles as she watches him pack up his bike.

He smiles at her kindly. “It’s time.” 

“Where to next?” Rory asks. 

“DC,” Steve says. “At least for a little while.” 

“That’s not that far,” Lorelai says, wrapping an arm around her youngest daughter. “Steve could still come back and visit.” 

“Or we could visit him,” Rory smiles.

“Sure, we could take Sid to some of the museums down there,” Luke adds. 

“And I hear they have great chili dogs,” Lorelai grins. 

Steve grins back. “That’s what they tell me.” He takes a deep breath and turns to them after finishing loading up his bike. 

“You got everything?” Luke asks. 

“Yep.” 

Luke nods. “Your clothes? The food Sookie packed you? The books?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Toothbrush?” 

Steve nods. “Rory got me a new one.” 

Lorelai turns and quirks an eyebrow at her daughter. 

The younger woman lifts her head. “Dental hygiene is important.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

Luke ignores them and holds his hand out to Steve. “Thank you again, for saving Sidney.” 

“Really, it was-” 

“It was a big deal,” Luke cuts him off. “So thank you. It was good getting to know you.” 

Steve nods. “You, too.” 

When Luke steps back, Sidney rushes up and hugs his leg. 

“Don’t crash your bike,” she tells him. “And stop for food if you run out of food.” 

He grins and nods, patting her head. “I will. I promise.” 

Rory is next, holding her hand out. “Captain.” 

“Steve’s still fine,” he grins, shaking her hand and gazing at her. She’s beautiful, he thinks, not for the first time, and maybe if things were different…

When she moves back, Lorelai steps up and hugs him tightly. 

“Call if you need anything.” 

He nods, and pats her shoulder. “I will.” He takes a breath and pulls back to look at her. “Thank you, Lorelai. I don’t know how I can repay you and your family’s kindness.” 

“Just don’t be a stranger, okay, Steve?” 

Steve gives another nod and steps back. “I promise.” 

He gives the Gilmore-Danes family one final look before he hops on his bike, and heads off down the road. 

Toward reality, and Peggy and Tony and SHIELD. 

When Steve pulls off the road at a small rest stop late in the day, and unpacks cooler with the Dragonfly’s logo on it, he finds an enormous turkey and chipotle aioli sandwich, blueberry scones, and a huge thermos of coffee. 

And he smiles.

END


End file.
